The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-11-12

In like manner DR.. Hanson and myself, and in
a certain sense DR.. Cantwell also, having been
caused to pass, as it were, under the yoke,
have been brought hither to swell the tri-
umph of our conquerors. Nine years ago the
dominions of the Publishing House were con-
fined, we might say, to New England; but
now, having met and overcome the various
powers that lay in the path of its ambition, it's
dominions extend from Maine to California.
The old christian Leader" of New York was
the first to fall before it. An ancient rivalry,
like unto that of Rome and Carthage, had sub
sisted between the two establishments, and at
one time it had looked as if the Leader
might come out victorious. Its managers i'm
ported Hannibal from Massachusetts itself,
and sought to wage war in the enemy's own
country, and dire was the alarm when the
Leader scaled the Berkshire Alps, and adj
vanced upon the New England Rome. But its
march was finally arrested, and its days of
victory were ended. Then the word went forth,
Delelda est Carthage! =" Carthage must be de-
stroyedi" and proudly crying,
mo pent up Utica contracts our powers;
But the whole boundless continent is ours 70
the war was carried into Africa. The Leader"
fell, and the place thereof knew 1t no more.
But its fate was soon shared by the Star and
Covenant" which, from the shores of Lake
Michigan. had ruled the extensive West. That
rival, too, was made to bite the dust: and now
having extended their frontiers to the Pacific
coast, the agents of the Publishing House,
like Alexander of old, are signing for more
worlds to conquer.
Well, though one of the captives that are
compelled to grace this triumph, l am per-
tectly satisfied. DIR. Hanson and myself have
not been entrusted with the government of
tributary Kingdoms as DIR. Cantwell has been;
but we do not complain. We have the men,
cries of bygone greatness to feed upon: we
recall the day when these now exultant victors
trembled before us; and we can console our
selves with the thought that if we had been
better provided with the sinews of war, we
could have issued from the struggle with lau-
res as well as honor.
Pardon me for indulging in few remarks
respecting myself. 1 was not many months
older than the Publishing House is to night
when became the editor of the old Leader"
When mounted the editorial tripod, I sup
posed that it was only for six months or so,
until permanent editor could be secured,
Alasl
1.-THE best laid schem es O. nice and men
Gang aft agley."
circumstances over which had no control
compelled me to be that permanent editor
myself and, at the same time, to attend to my
regular duties as a settled pastor. Conceive
what the load must have been to the imma-
ture young man who tried to shoulder it! But
with the blessing of heaven, and the editorial
contributions of our honored DR.. Sawyer and
Others, managed to get along aftera fashion,
until, when four laborious years had passed,
the Leader" was united with the Boston
Universalist," 1t was the best thing that
could have been done; and thank God that I
was permitted to do something in preparing
the way for THE CHRISTIAN LEADER of the pres
emf, which, with the exception of the Chicago
UNIvERsALIST, is the ablest journal our
Church has ever known.
1 congratulate you, gentlemen of the Pub
fishing House. In no nobler work could you
engage than in that of spreading, by means of
the printed page the glorious Gospel of Jesus
Christ. Yours is the privilege of making use
of the grandest invention that earth has ever
known, which has done more than all other
inventions combined to dissipate the world
mental and moral darkness. What Krupp
cannon and steel-clad leviathans of war can
not do, that the press can accomplish. No
wonder, then, that error and wrong quake be-
fore it, and mourn the day when newspapers
and printed books were unknown. But the
art which you represent is not an unadulter-
ated blessing. If angels of light can make use
of it, so can the powers of darkness. The bat
tie of the age may be said to be, in one sense
battle for the control of this stupendous
agency. Which shall obtain that control,
heaven or hell? That question, gentlemen,
you, in common with the faithful and true all
over the world. are trying to answer as you
send out from week to week, and from year
to year, your serred columns of printed mat
ter to the rescue of imperilled Truth andRight.
The Lord bless you in your work, and when
another quarter of a century has flown, may
you or your successors find the world much
nearer to that day of glad deliveranee which
the Church of Christ is so anxious to behold.
ADDRESS BY DR.. DEMAREST.
At the imperative summons from the
chair, the Secretary of the General Con-
vention, for years editor of the Helper,
made brief address. In substance he
said:
Twenty five years ago, 1 was one of
those unfortunates who were trying to
edit and publish paper in Cincinnati.
L am glad to say that / escaped from
that trying situation long ago. 1 was
impressed very forcibly of the great val
ue of our religious press, by remark
recently made by citiz an of Oregon :;
he said that it is not possible for you
here in the East to appreciate our peri
odicals. He said that his paper was a
week old when ne received it /, but he
devoured its contents with the keenest
relish, and then he loaned it to his
neighbors, and it was in constant use,
doing missionary work, till worn out.
1 am exceedingly glad of the work the
Publishing House has done and is do
ing. AS to the financial agent of our
general church, am not at all jealous
of the large amount of funds that are
contributed to this institution. The
more it receives the more the general
church will receive. The work done by
the one will serve to quicken activity in
behalf of the other. The funds that
shall come into this House in the future
will help cheaper our publications, and
bring them within the easy reach of all.
The old records of the General Con-
ventiOn show the interest that was
early taken in the founding of a pub
fishing house. Attempts were made at
savaraI sessions of the Cnnvantinn To